It is often desirable to deliver targeted information to select individuals located in a discrete geographic area. For instance, it may be desirable to deliver community related information only to individuals residing within a particular neighborhood. Likewise, it may be desirable to deliver event-related information only to individuals at a particular event. In a similar vein, it may be desirable to deliver advertising information for a business only to potential customers who are located proximately to the business.
Although highly desirable, delivering targeted information to select individuals in a discrete geographic area in the manner described above is very difficult for at least several reasons. In the context of delivering information to individuals in a fixed geographic area such as a neighborhood, it is often difficult to determine the actual bounds of the neighborhood. Traditional geographical descriptors, such as ZIP codes and city names, often span multiple neighborhoods. Even if the bounds of the neighborhood can be identified, the actual recipients of the information that are physically located within the neighborhood must also be identified. This too can be a challenging process.
In the context of delivering information to individuals in a geographic area that varies in size and duration, such as individuals located at an event, it is highly difficult to determine both the geographic area itself and the duration of the event. For instance, several thousand people may be present at an event only for several hours. While at the event, information provided to the attendees regarding the event, such as advertising regarding specials offered during the event, may be of great value to the attendees. However, once the event has concluded and the event attendees are no longer at the location of the event, the information is of little or no value.